Seaweed all over Vero, Fort Pierce, Jensen: What beaches look like ahead of Memorial Day & what to do
"Oh, man, I can't wait to go to the beach− what the?"
(Sees brown crunchy seaweed blanketing the beach and being tumbled in the waves like the brown blob that it is).
Ewww.
On a recent beach trip, brown seaweed was scattered across the sand at Humiston Beach Park in Vero Beach, especially during low tide. Beachgoers navigated to openings in the sand or pushed away the seaweed to set up for the day.
Prepare yourself. Sargassum seaweed spotted in Florida. Here's where it's going and when it will be worst
That's what it's been like lately to deal with sargassum seaweed if you go to a Florida beach. Days before the Memorial Day weekend, it was noticeably bad on Treasure Coast beaches. Take a look below.
See for yourself! Florida beach live webcams show surf, waves, sargassum seaweed conditions
Instagram-worthy pics: Sargassum seaweed 'blobs' at Florida beaches
What is sargassum seaweed?
Sargassum is a species of large brown seaweed, a type of macroalgae that floats in large masses.
On some beaches in Florida, the "blobs" of crunchy, dry, brown stinky seaweed are fairly large. In one of our photo galleries below, you'll see a small "mountain" of sargassum seaweed, and a black dog posing next to it. It's in the water, on the shore, surrounding beachgoers who just want to play in the sand.
Sargassum seaweed now in Pensacola. The seaweed sitch on Pensacola Beach is no cause for concern, experts say. Here's why
Is sargassum dangerous to humans?
In the water, sargassum is considered harmless to people.
On land, sargassum begins to rot and produces smelly hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, which can irritate eyes, ears, and noses. People with asthma or other breathing illnesses may have trouble breathing if they inhale too much of it.
In open areas like beaches, however, moving air usually dilutes the gas to non-harmful levels.
The seaweed also contains tiny sea creatures, such as jellyfish larvae, that can irritate your skin on contact.
Sargassum seaweed at South Beach Park in Vero Beach, Florida
Sargassum seaweed at Avalon State Park in Fort Pierce, Florida
Sargassum seaweed at Pepper Park Beachside in Fort Pierce, Florida
Sargassum seaweed at Dollman Park Beachside in Jensen Beach, Florida
Sargassum seaweed at Hutchinson Island in Jensen Beach, Florida
Sargassum seaweed at Waveland Beach in Jensen Beach, Florida
Seaweed season? Giant mats of seaweed lurk off Florida coast and have beached in spurts but will peak soon
Oy! Sargassum, a smelly seaweed, may be coming soon to a Gulf beach near you. What to know about it
Gross pictures of sargassum seaweed 'blobs' in Florida
Contributing: George Petras and Jennifer Borresen, USA TODAY; Adam Neal, Crystal Vander Weit, Corey Arwood and Will Greenlee, TCPalm
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Seaweed in Florida: Are brown blobs dangerous? What to do if you see it
